BLA militants unleash unprecedented attack on Pakistan train, kill 20 soldiers: Here's what we know so far

The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for derailing a train, asserting that they had seized control, killed 20 security personnel.

On March 11, 2025, separatist militants from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) launched an attack on the Jaffar Express in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, derailing the train and taking 182 passengers hostage.  The Pakistan police, however, has said that the militants have taken 35 passengers hostage.  The train, enroute from Quetta to Peshawar, was ambushed in the Mashkaf area of Bolan district, where assailants fired on it and used explosives to destroy the tracks, halting it inside tunnel No 8.

The driver was injured, and security personnel onboard engaged in a firefight, but the BLA seized control, claiming to hold over 182 passengers hostages, including military and ISI personnel.

Here's what we know so far:

• The attack occurred on March 11, 2025, in Balochistan’s Mashkaf area, Bolan district.
• The Jaffar Express, traveling from Quetta to Peshawar, was hijacked.
• The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), a separatist militant group, claimed responsibility for the hijack.
• Over 100 passengers, including military and ISI personnel, remain captive.
• BLA claims they killed 20 soldiers, and the driver was injured.
• Militants fired on the train and used explosives to derail it in a tunnel.
•  The BLA, seeking Balochistan’s independence, released women, children, and Baloch civilians, retaining only “serving personnel of the occupying forces. They threatened to execute all hostages if Pakistan intervenes militarily.
• The train had approximately 400 passengers in nine bogies.
• Security forces have encircled the area, deploying a relief train with soldiers and medics, as sporadic gunfire persists.

Balochistan has seen a long-running insurgency by separatist militant groups, which have carried out attacks against the government, army, and Chinese interests. These groups demand a greater share of the province’s gas and mineral resources. The BLA, the largest of these groups, seeks independence for Balochistan.

Who are Baloch Liberation Army? 

The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claims that Pakistan forcibly annexed Balochistan in March 1948 by pressuring the Khan of Kalat, the region’s former ruler, to sign the instrument of accession. Labeled a terrorist organization by both the United States and Pakistan, the BLA has waged a prolonged insurgency against the Pakistani government, demanding independence for Balochistan, a province abundant in natural resources.